the pioneer DRM-1004V40 DVD-ROM/ CD-ROM jukebox

No one doubts that DVD in all its non-set-top flavors (ROM, RAM, R, and +/-RW) will eventually stand side-by-side with CD-ROM as an important network storage system. The question is: When? Sooner rather than later, if Pioneer has anything to say about it. If 100 discs are worth 1,000 words, Pioneer New Media Technologies is certainly saying quite a mouthful with the bold introduction of its DVD-ROM Jukebox, the DRM-1004V40. (Oh, for the fluidity of names like those proffered by other vendors: NSM's Galaxy, or Microtest's DiscPort Executive, for example.)

The DRM-1004V40, or V40 for short, is an outgrowth of Pioneer's existing DRM-1004X40 CD-ROM jukebox. Both hold 100 discs, both offer up to four readers. The big change, naturally, is in the inclusion of Pioneer's own DVD-ROM reader, the DVD-102. (This SCSI-2 device will soon be superceded by the new DVD-103S, a "Generation Three" 6X reader now shipping from Pioneer. They expect to ship the upgraded jukeboxes in July 1999.) Our test system included the earlier DVD-102, so test results reflect that drive, rather than the newer 6X drive.

playing the slots

The DVD-102 readers that currently ship with the V40 are, as mentioned, SCSI-2 units with a maximum throughput of 2.8 to 3.5MB/sec for DVD, 1.4 to 3.6MB/sec for CD-ROM. (That's 2.6X for the DVD side, 24X on the CD-ROM side.) The drive is slot-load, which thus differs significantly from the drives available in other jukeboxes with their caddy- or tray-loading approaches.

Pioneer states that the use of slot-load allows their drives to support double-sided media, which the caddy- or tray-loaded systems cannot. In the defense of other vendors, there isn't much of an installed base of double-sided DVD media out there (except for widescreen-option movie titles), so this capability is more for a future need than a contemporary one.

Of course, using a slot-loaded drive means the disc robotic mechanism has to grab the disc at the edge. Again, this loading strategy differs from other vendors which tend toward either a hub-grip or a caddy/tray approach. With religious fervor, each will defend its approach as the preferred, safest route to prevent damage to the disc. We haven't seen any real-world data indicating that any one mechanism is demonstrably superior to the others when it comes to disc protection. Most damage to CD-ROM and DVD discs occur when being handled by the operators, not when loaded in the jukebox itself.

The DVD-102 (and its descendant, the DVD-103S) is polylingual and speaks all forms of 120mm speak: DVD single and dual-layer, DVD-R, CD-ROM Mode 1, XA, PhotoCD, Multisession, CD-V, CD-RW, and CD-R. Seek times are a respectable 115ms with DVD, 90ms with CD-ROM. Access times are 140ms with DVD, 110 with CD-ROM.

read the new ROM--same as the old ROM

The testbed used in evaluating the Pioneer V40 included a Windows NT Server 4.0 with iXOS Jukeman software for jukebox access and an Adaptec 2420 SCSI host adapter. The system ran with 128MB RAM. We ran read requests for video files from two, four, and five workstations. Performance lagged behind the stated range for the jukebox, with transfer rates around 1.5 to 2.0MB/sec total throughput over the network to the clients. Although the test video playback didn't suffer greatly from the slower throughput, it did seem to indicate a problem. Further diagnostics suggested that our 3Com Ethernet card was the culprit, along with some services running on the NT box, rather than the Pioneer jukebox itself. Media exchange time, however, was within the parameters of the box--averaging about six seconds for disc swaps.

Working with DVD-ROM may seem exotic, but in our tests, it appeared more like a large CD-ROM rather than an entirely new format. One concern regarding the box's performance was the need to provide more caching space for frequently referenced content on the server hard drive, in comparison with CD-ROM. Otherwise, the system behaved like other jukeboxes.

future-mindful magazines

The V40 also takes another step in the support for double-sided media with its magazines. The V40 stores the discs in slots in the magazines and not with trays or caddies as in other systems. This provides a universal storage form which doesn't distinguish between single- and double-sided media and thus could be field-upgraded to support both, a claim that no other jukebox vendors can currently make.

The flipper robotic mechanism for using dual-sided media isn't available in any CD-ROM system either, including Pioneer's own. There's no question that Pioneer's anticipation of future growth in the dual-sided media market in this box's architecture is an important development. However, it seems unlikely that a field-replacement kit for a flipper mechanism would be a likely option for the V40. Removing the single-sided robotic mechanism, replacing it, then performing a firmware upgrade for the device seems like a more difficult undertaking than most sites would consider viable. (Consider how few sites show a willingness to upgrade firmware alone.) Even given that capability, users will be more apt to buy a new, dual-sided media jukebox, rather than attempt to upgrade a single jukebox to dual-sided. Still, Pioneer is to be commended for planning for double-sided support at this early stage of DVD-ROM use.

However, if extensive archiving and/or Internet data storage is the primary purpose for purchasing a DVD jukebox, then standardizing on a common magazine might save time and money over a mixed, multivendor library. This commonality with a future dual-sided Pioneer jukebox may well be the key reason to buy this unit as opposed to any other. Since flipper robotics are adaptable from the older MO technology, we don't feel it would take much for Pioneer to create one, after demand arises.

The drawback with the magazines is their large capacity--50 discs. This makes it hard to archive a subset of the jukebox's capacity. Better is the NSM Satellite or Cygnet id100 approach with smaller magazines of 15 discs which allows for a single hard drive to be archived in a magazine or one project.

Another impressive aspect of the V40's design is its compact construction. Pioneer's box offers a much smaller footprint than most other systems of comparable capacity. Its 23-inch height, 19-inch depth, and 10-inch width make it unusually petite for an 850GB system. The chassis itself is a solid, neat design with casters for moving the unit as required.

documentation dy-no-mite!

We really have to give credit to Pioneer's marvelous documentation (and accompanying firmware), While other vendors are happy simply to provide a rather crude translation of a foreign reference guide of a few pages, the extensive, profusely illustrated V40 user documentation make it easy to exercise the unit.

To all jukebox vendors credit, their systems are typically plug-and-play. Most implementation hassles occur with the driver software or management tool, rather than the hardware itself. However, for those occasions when it seems like the jukebox itself is at fault, the Pioneer's firmware allows the administrator to initiate manually every feature of the system to verify its proper operation. The manual explains each and every step to perform these tests and explain both what to expect and how to resolve whatever issues may arise.

For example, our test Windows NT server refused to operate the mail slot on the V40. Since the jukebox management software had installed correctly and did not return an error message when we attempted the mail slot opening operation, we assumed a possible hardware failure. However, when we ran the test sequence from the jukebox front panel, we were able to view the mail slot operating correctly (including inserting and removing a disc from the internal magazine).

From this we concluded that our test jukebox management software still lacked full support for the Pioneer, which absolved the jukebox internal hardware of any culpability.

Also contributing to the system's predictable ease of use and operation is the encouraging news that most major vendors of jukebox management software have delivered or have promised to deliver support for the V40. This includes Euroson/PoiNT and Smart Storage as well as iXOS, whose software coexisted quite happily with the Pioneer system in testing.

Lewis, Clark, and ...

While other vendors await an increased installed base of DVD users, Pioneer lives up to its name with the launch of this solid, competent jukebox. If there's one thing you can always count on Pioneer for, it's solid, robust construction and reliable performance that can withstand even the most unpredictable network environments as well as any box around. Thus, if DVD-ROM plays any type of role in your corporate archiving or Internet database access, then the Pioneer V40 is today's best read-only answer. While bulk loading is a small drawback, the inimitable capabilities of this system more than recommend it for network use.

pioneer's DRM-1004V40

synopsis: The DRM-1004V40, or V40 for short, is an outgrowth of Pioneer's existing DRM-1004X40 CD-ROM jukebox. Both hold 100 discs, both offer up to four readers. The big change, naturally, is in the inclusion of Pioneer's own DVD-ROM reader. No currently shipping unit can compare with the Pioneer, given the inimitable DVD capability it delivers with ever-solid performance. Across the board software support and excellent documentation are also huge pluses. If DVD-ROM plays any type of role in your corporate archiving or Internet database access, then the Pioneer V40 is the best product currently available to meet your needs.

price

$12,495 for 100-disc system (470GB) with 4 readers and one-year onsite warranty

for more information, contact:

Pioneer New Media Technologies, Inc., 2265 East 220th Street, Long Beach. CA 90810; 800/444-6784; 310/952-2111; Fax 310/952-2990; http://www.pioneerusa.com; InfoLink #419

companies mentioned in this article

Euroson America, Inc., 40 Cain Drive, Brentwood, NY 11717; 516/273-4200; Fax 516/273-4240; http://www.euroson.com; InfoLink #404

iXOS Software, Inc., 901 Mariners Island Boulevard, Suite 725, San Mateo, CA 94404-1594; 650/610-8240; Fax 650/294-5836; http://www.ixos.com; InfoLink #411

Smart Storage, Inc., 100 Burtt Road, Andover, MA 01810; 978/623-3300; Fax 978/623-3310; http://www.smartstorage.com; Infolink #423

Network ObServer columnist David Doering (dave@techvoice.com), an EMedia Professional contributing editor, is also senior analyst with TechVoice Inc., an Orem, Utah-based consultancy.

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